Falling for Fluttershy
by HeavenlyTook
Summary: In which Rainbow Dash realises her love for Fluttershy, Applejack proves a point to Rarity and Twilight Sparkle, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders decide to become matchmakers... again. Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy, and implied one-sided Applejack/Rarity. Short, but hopefully sweet as apple sauce.


"There's nothin' better than puttin' your hooves up after a hard day's work on the farm," said Applejack, as she sank down into her deckchair and placed her rear hooves on a bale of hay, "What'd make it even better if is I had a nice glass of sweet, cool apple cider."

The Earth pony sighed. "Mm, apple cider, now that sounds delish!" She looked over her shoulder and saw her little sister sat outside the barn. "Hey, Apple Bloom! Be a dear and fetch me a glass of cider, would you?"

Apple Bloom groaned and slumped down even further, looking very miserable. "What's up, Sugar Cube?" asked Applejack, worriedly making her way over to the filly, "You look awful sad this afternoon. Something got you down in the dumps?"

"It's not fair," sighed Apple Bloom, "I should have my cutie mark by now. I want it so bad, Applejack, but it just won't appear!" The little pony stamped her hoof in frustration.

"Oh, Apple Bloom," Applejack said with a smile, "Your cutie mark will come. You've just gotta give it time."

"I don't want to give it time! I want my cutie mark _now_!" Apple Bloom jumped up and down a few times as she screamed angrily at her big sister.

Applejack chuckled. "Sugar, you're so impatient, but I promise one day you'll get your cutie mark," she told, "There's no point in you wastin' all your energy gettin' cross about it, 'cause it's not gonna make it happen any quicker."

"I suppose so," said Apple Bloom, and then she sighed, "You're right, sis, I'm sorry for bein' so silly."

"Oh, you are a silly little filly indeed, Apple Bloom," said Applejack, "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

Apple Bloom beamed up at her sister, her mood suddenly lifted by Applejack's words. She swung her hoof nervously back and forth. "So, Applejack?" she said.

"Yes, Apple Bloom?" replied Applejack.

"D'you think I'll be getting' my cutie mark any time soon?"

Applejack sighed, and then laughed and ruffled the foal's mane with her muzzle. "Maybe, Apple Bloom, but like I said, you've gotta stop worryin' 'bout it so much! Tell that to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle too. Your friends need to hear it just as much as you did," she rolled her eyes, "Though I doubt they'll listen."

"I'll try to convince them that we have to be patient," said Apple Bloom. She started to walk inside, but turned back to face Applejack when she reached the door, "But we'll never give up, not until we have our cutie marks!" She rushed inside.

Applejack shook her head, smiling. "That's my girl."

She trotted towards her deckchair, but once she sat down her eyes suddenly widened when she realised that she had forgotten something. "Oh, Apple Bloom!" she called to her sister, "Any chance you can get me that apple cider now?"

"Get your own apple cider!" Applejack heard Apple Bloom yell from inside.

The mare closed her eyes in annoyance and once again rose from her chair. She began walking towards the barn, but she was unexpectedly knocked over by a strong gust of wind.

"What in Sweet Apple Acres…?" she muttered to herself, as she stood up and dusted herself down. She looked around, confused and suspicious, and noticed a small blue feather on the ground beneath her hooves.

"I might've known," she mumbled irritably, and then shouted as loud as she could: "Rainbow Dash! Wait till I get my hooves on you!"

Applejack started to gallop in the direction that Rainbow Dash had flown away, her eyebrows furrowed angrily. She scoured the farm, and was about to return to the barn when she heard someone crying behind an apple tree.

"Rainbow Dash?" she said, concerned. She peered around the trunk of the tree and saw that it was indeed her friend Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was curled up in a ball, her wings wrapped around her legs, and she was weeping quietly to herself.

"L-leave me alone, Applejack," she sniffed.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, whatever is the matter?" asked Applejack, almost frantically. Rainbow Dash was hardly ever upset, and seeing her cry was a rare spectacle indeed.

"I'm fine," said Rainbow Dash.

"Oh, Sugar Cube, you're not fine at all. Don't cry, Rainbow, tell me what's wrong."

"Crying? I-I'm not crying," Rainbow Dash insisted. She wiped her eyes with her wing. "I am undeniably, unquestionably, unbelievably fine."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's certainly unbelievable," she told, "Listen, Rainbow Dash, we all get down once in a while. I've just been talkin' to my little sis after she was upset, and I don't like seein' my friends upset either. Please, Dash, tell me what's up."

Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded. "All right, but you have to promise me you'll tell nopony about it."

"I promise, course I do. You know you can trust me, Rainbow Dash."

"Well," began the pegasus pony, "It's just… It's, um, it's about…" She bit her lip, and Applejack tilted her head.

"Yes, Rainbow? What is it?" inquired Applejack hurriedly.

"It's about Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash said so quickly and so quietly that Applejack couldn't tell what she was saying.

"Come again?"

"It's about Fluttershy," Rainbow repeated, "I was with her earlier and I sort of, might have, _completely_ accidentally shouted at her."

Applejack blinked. "That's it?" she asked incredulously, "You're cryin' 'cause you shouted at Fluttershy?"

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped. "Applejack, this is a big deal for me. I've upset one of my bestest friends in all of Equestria and now she'll hate me forever and ever and _ever_," the pony sighed, "Plus I feel _really_ bad about it. Fluttershy is always nice to me, and I just _had_ to go and ruin it."

"Oh, Rainbow, hun," said Applejack, "Fluttershy won't hate you. There must be a perfectly good reason that you shouted at her."

"Well, that's just it," responded Rainbow Dash, "I only shouted at her because I thought she was ignoring me. I mean, she kept talking to Pinkie Pie, and I felt really left out and-"

"Wait just a minute, you say Pinkie Pie was there?" Rainbow Dash nodded, and Applejack sighed, "Are you sure it wasn't just Pinkie Pie, you know, bein' Pinkie Pie? You know what she's like, once she starts talkin' she never stops!"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I guess you're right."

"But I still don't get it, Dash. Why were you so desperate for the attention from Fluttershy anyway?"

The pegasus looked up at her friend with wide eyes. There was silence for a while, and then Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. "Because I haven't had a chance to be alone with Fluttershy in weeks because all of you other ponies have been with her and all I wanted was some time with her because she's one of my best friends _ever_ and I love her so much and it's just not the same when you're all hogging her attention because she's so quiet and shy which means she never get's a chance to speak and_ I _never get a chance to talk to her which is _really_ unfair because she's the pony I like talking to most!"

Rainbow Dash ran out of air and started panting heavily. Applejack stared at her with wide, startled eyes. "Wow, Rainbow Dash, I never realised before now how much you like Fluttershy."

"You're kidding, right?" said Rainbow, "We've been best friends since we were fillies. She's awesome!"

"You love her, huh?" asked Applejack, her head tilted to one side and her eyebrows furrowed.

Rainbow Dash smiled and blushed nervously. "Well, um, yeah, I suppose. I love Fluttershy. Yes, I admit it, I love Fluttershy." She grinned proudly, as if she had just announced something truly amazing.

"All right, Sugar Cube, I understand," said Applejack, "I mean, I love y'all too. You ponies mean the world to me! I'm glad you're feeling better now, Rainbow Dash. See you around."

Applejack cantered away, and Rainbow Dash was left feeling content. However, as she soared towards the Everfree Forest she began to ponder over her own words, wondering whether Applejack's inference of them had been correct.

_"Yes, I admit it, I love Fluttershy."_

The words echoed around Rainbow's mind as she flew, causing her to lose concentration. "Maybe I do love Fluttershy," she said aloud, "And not just as a friend."

She shook her head. "No, Rainbow Dash, you are being ridiculous. Fluttershy will _never_ want to be your super special somepony, even if she is twenty percent cooler than all of the other ponies you know... But there's no harm in trying, is there? I mean, she might want to be my special somepony."

Rainbow Dash smiled to herself.

"I am determined that one day I will make Fluttershy my super special somepony… _But_ for now I guess I've just gotta apologise for being such a jerk."

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack was sat in the kitchen with two of her dearest friends, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle, drinking fresh apple cider.

"I hate to say I told y'all so, but I told y'all so," the Earth pony said with a smile, as she took a sip of cider, "Rainbow Dash may be a champion flier, but she's fallen pretty hard for Fluttershy."

Rarity put her hooves together in delight. "They truly are the perfect couple," she squealed, "Rainbow Dash will show Fluttershy how to be more assertive, and Fluttershy will show Rainbow Dash how to be less, well, Rainbow Dash."

"They're just perfect as they are," said Twilight Sparkle, "And I wouldn't want them to change at all."

"I agree," replied Applejack, "But, Twilight, you gotta admit that they're just perfect for each other."

Twilight Sparkle giggled. "I guess so, and if they're happy together than I'm happy for them."

"Let's not rush into things," said Rarity, "Rainbow's only just realised she's in love, the poor dear."

"Rainbow Dash?" said a quiet, squeaky voice, "In love? With Fluttershy?"

The mares turned there heads and saw three little fillies standing in the doorway.

"Sweetie Belle!" gasped Rarity.

"Apple Bloom!" said Applejack.

Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom smiled anxiously at their sisters. Scootaloo laughed, thinking that not having a sister maybe wasn't such a bad thing at all.

"Hey," she said, "I think Rarity and Applejack would make a good couple."

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other, horrified by Scootaloo's statement. Applejack and Rarity also turned to face each other. Applejack gulped as she looked straight into Rarity's sapphire eyes, and then she cleared her throat and turned back to face the foals.

Rarity scoffed, as if the idea was preposterous. "Don't be silly, Scootaloo, we would definitely _not_ make a good couple."

Applejack sighed, and Twilight looked at her curiously.

"Hey," said Apple Bloom, sounding merry, "Maybe we can get our cutie marks in matchmakin'!"

The other fillies cheered, and the three of them rushed out of the kitchen. The three mares sat in disbelief.

"This isn't good," said Twilight Sparkle, "This reminds me of the time they tried to force Big McIntosh and Cheerilee to fall in love."

Applejack's eyes widened in fear. "Now, this is truly dreadful."

Near the borders of the Everfree forest, Rainbow Dash gulped nervously as she watched Fluttershy cry quietly to herself inside her cottage. The shamed pegasus knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Pinkie Pie, i-if that's you I've told you I'm fine," sniffled a quiet voice from inside, "You don't need to bring me any more balloons to cheer me up."

"It's not Pinkie Pie, it's me," said Rainbow Dash.

The door opened so quickly that Rainbow Dash found herself stumbling over her hooves in alarm.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash!" said Fluttershy. Her smile was so bright that it could have melted the heart of anypony in Equestria. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"But," Rainbow Dash was extremely confused, "I thought you were crying because I shouted at you."

"Oh, no, no, no! Rainbow, my dear, I was crying because I thought y-y-you were angry at me, a-and I didn't want you to be angry. I'm so sorry."

Rainbow Dash smiled. "It's such a relief to know that you're okay. I thought you hated me! I'm sorry for shouting, Fluttershy."

"And I'm sorry for ignoring you."

"Fluttershy," replied Rainbow with her eyebrows raised, "Didn't you _just_ apologise?"

Fluttershy blushed. "O-oh, I did, sorry."

Rainbow Dash remained silent for a while and then collapsed to the floor and started laughing hysterically. After a moment Fluttershy started giggling too.

"Fluttershy, you're the best," said Rainbow Dash, once she had composed herself, "You're almost as cool as _me_, and that's saying something."

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, you are an excellent friend. I-I don't know what to say."

Before she could stop herself, Rainbow Dash had moved closer to Fluttershy and was looking directly into her eyes. "You don't have to say anything, Fluttershy."

Rainbow Dash kissed the tip of Fluttershy's nose, and the timid pink pegasus blushed even more. She wrapped her front legs around Rainbow's neck, leaving the mare in total surprise.

"I love you, Rainbow Dash," whispered Fluttershy.

"I love you too, Fluttershy."


End file.
